Codes of Honor

[Gort]

Of course they're not necessarily evil. Neutral creatures can commit acts of evil (assuming your definition of slavery labels it as evil in every possible case) without being evil creatures.

Not sure about "most of whom won't be evil". I guess it depends on the world you're talking about.

 

[Phaedrus]

Robert J. Bezold
from Dragon #51

Dictates of the Catholic Church, from the 11th Century Crusades:

1. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches and shalt obey all her commandments.
2. Thou shalt defend the Church.
3. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
4. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
5. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
6. Thou shalt make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy .
7. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
8. Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.
9. Thou shalt be generous and give largesse to everyone.
10. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

 

[Phaedrus]

The eight principles of bushido:

Jin - to develop a sympathetic understanding of people
Gi - to preserve the correct ethics
Chu - to show loyalty to one's master
Ko - to respect and to care for one's parents
Rei - to show respect for others
Chi - to enhance wisdom by broadening one's knowledge
Shin - to be truthful at all times
Tei - to care for the aged and those of a humble station

(from http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/towers/9151/bushido.htm)

 

[Phaedrus]

See also

http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/chivalry.html

http://www.chronique.com/Library/Chivalry/code.htm

http://home.carolina.rr.com/order/chivalric_code.htm



And for the fantasy scientologists (is that redundant?) out there:
http://www.codeofhonor.org/code_of_honor.htm

 

[pawsplay]

I highly recommend Love & War for discussions of chivalric characters. There's some Codes for you.

 

[Al]

So slave-takers and slave-owners are not evil?

Without derailing the thread entirely, that's arguable. Moreover, in my original post I did make it slightly ambiguous: I had intended that slave-owners not to be mostly evil, not slave-takers (where it's even murkier). After all, so long as the owner treats the slave humanely, and slavery is legal (and therefore, presumably regarded by society as ok), what's the problem in a fantasy setting. After all, many historical societies had slaves, and you can't blanket say that most historical slave-owners were evil.

 

[pawsplay]

It's not difficult to argue that capitalists are evil. Or dogmatic, pious militants. Or free-thinkers. Equating slavery with evil is subjective as well as simplistic. The Bible condones it. Essentially all civilizations have practiced it until recently. Modern "wage slavery" is, if anything, even more perfidious. Slaves, at least, have a safety net. Free individuals who are merely poor are free to starve, however undeserving their fate, if they lack economic ability.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Here's what I do, have them pick out their own. Paladins must choose 4, and then another every 5 levels. Clerics & monks 2 vows; anyone else may pick a free feat if they choose a vow.

Obedience: obey all leaders & those of higher level in their specific command
Loyalty: renounce all ties to family, guild & government. Live for their order.
Bravery: Never show fear. May retreat but not while defending.
Courtesy: show respect to those of higher level & station.
Challenge: You are open to a challenge in whatever form, at any time.
Humility: remain humble in spirit, rejecting adulation and reward.
Celibacy: remain chaste.
Neutrality: apolitical, do not get involved in politics
Minor Faith: Accept no aid from non-allied churches.
Major Faith: Accept no aid from another's alignment. (Counts as 2)
Truth: do not lie or misrepresent the truth.
Freedom: allow no intelligent being to remain in slavery
Minor Poverty: surrender 25% of all wealth attained.
Major Poverty: surrender 75% of all wealth attained. (Counts as 2)

That's great! Mind if I steal it (not that you could stop me anyways)?

 

[silburnl]

Celibacy: remain chaste.

Nitpick: Celibacy != Chastity

Eg. Many real world clerics are expected to be chaste, but they are not prevented from marrying (indeed some religions view marriage as a religious duty).

Otherwise its a neat set of vows and a useful prod for lazy players.

Regards
Luke

 

[VirgilCaine]

It's not difficult to argue that capitalists are evil. Or dogmatic, pious militants. Or free-thinkers. ... Modern "wage slavery" is, if anything, even more perfidious. Slaves, at least, have a safety net. Free individuals who are merely poor are free to starve, however undeserving their fate, if they lack economic ability.

It is certain they would starve because of government regulation and taxation which would cause prices for necessary products and services to rise, not because of a lack of a "safety net."

The "wage slaves" would also be taxed to pay for the bureaucracy that administers the regulations and taxes that keep him from being able to survive.